Chapter 1
The flames devoured all they touched as they encroached on Syene. Her dress had been torn and shredded, unrecognizable from its previous stunning appearance. But it made no difference to Syene. Anyone who saw her would assume she was wearing the best clothes already.
Even without the dress she still gave off the aura of a queen.
Syene glanced at the flames, paying them barely any notice. The flames backed away.
Her current predicament had been caused by the crown prince. She'd loved the kingdom since she was a girl and when it was announced they would be engaged she was ecstatic to have the chance to help the less fortunate.
She found out later that she was actually a ploy in a power struggle between the prince and the king. Her job? To restrain the prince from overthrowing the king. But the prince was already in love. When the king had also found out that she wanted to participate in politics, he took it as her trying to take over the kingdom and immediately withdrew his support. Furthermore, the prince decided that if he didn't want to marry her now was the time to act and invited her to this mansion. As she waited for him he set the place ablaze and eloped with his lover.
Syene's only regret was not being able to help more people.
She sighed. No one was perfect anyways.
Looking at the flames one last time a smile graced her face, "At least the last thing I see is beautiful."
Then she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
The fire waited until she was in deep slumber before it inched closer to her. Yet instead of burning her, as the fire got to her head it seemed to dissolve instead.
The mansion turned silent.
In castle not too far from her, all hell was breaking loose.
"What's going on?" Prince Phillip asked.
When he'd come home from the war he'd expected praise and a parade, but as he rode through the streets it'd become apparent that no one was coming out. One of his closest friends, Jeroph, suggested to check the castle, but when they'd gotten there not even a butler could come out to greet them.
After waiting outside for half an hour, Phillip began to get impatient, and went up to the gate, pushing it open.
The creak woke the rest of the group up, and when seeing Phillips hand on the gate they looked around anxiously.
"Philip, if you touch the gate they'll cut off your hand," one whispered-yelled.
The king was notoriously bad tempered and put a rule in place that anyone who touched the gate, unless they were the crown prince, queen, or him, would have their hand chopped from their wrist.
But Phillip was a bastard. Even while being promoted to a prince through glorious military achievements, he was still a bastard. If the king didn't take his hand then the empress would.
Phillip let go, "Something weird is going on, I'm going inside. I won't force you to follow, but I'd appreciate if you do."
With the gate open Phillip got on his horse and galloped through. All four of his comrades followed. If Syene was here she would've thought Phillip a good fit for king.
As they dismounted their horses and walked through the castle door, the were met with a chaotic sight.
Vases were smashed and dead plants scoured the halls while people frantically ran back and forth. Phillip had run up to one of them and asked the single question everyone was thinking.
"It's missing," was all they managed to hear before the servant rushed away.
Phillip and the others began to confusingly look around for more information.
Little did they know in a tavern on the outskirts of the kingdom, the culprit sipped wine next to his love. "How does your highness know if she's really dead? What if she puts out the fire?" a gorgeous woman panicked.
The prince laughed at his adorable future queen, silencing her with a kiss. "Shh my love, you don't have to worry, I stole the eternal fire. It's impossible to even catch until it eats its fill, let alone put out. Even the nearby towns wouldn't be able to survive."
The woman stared back at him with clear love in her eyes, "You'd steal the eternal fire for me?" He winked at her, "Of course."